The animation is just superb. Clean lines and smooth animation coupled with truly excellent design and layout make this show a pleasure to watch simply on aesthetic levels. The pacing is also very good; it took its time with the story and allowed for many quiet and introspective moments to build a sense of atmosphere. And to top it off, the story they're telling is actually interesting and well laid out. The title refers to the recurring element of masks in the show; Gen never sees his grandmother without a mask, and other masks keep appearing throughout the show. The ideas of hidden identity and mystery permeate the show and make the story quite compelling.

It isn't all broody and mysterious, though; there's a healthy dollop of comedy, especially in the interaction between Gen and the American girl and her attempts at getting that magical golden sample. Then there's the school nurse and her interesting methods of 'vibration therapy'... And of course, there's plenty of sex, and unlike most hentai sex scenes (which tend to either be boring or creepy), its quite entertaining. It is quite a refreshing change to see sexually aggressive females instead of the usual passive rape-victim schoolgirls. Gen gets taken advantage of quite a bit, until his supernatural libido gets the better of him and he starts giving as good as he gets.

There is a freaky, vaguely incestuous bit later on, but if you can with that, Masquerade is recomended viewing. One of the very few hentai with good animation, an interesting story and non-exploitative sex scenes, Masquerade is a winner.